Electric switch-throwing device.



N0. 836,649. PATENTBD NOV. 20, 1906. J. A. POSBY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No 886,649. PATBNTED NOV. 20; 1906.

, J. A. POSEY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED AEGL J 190 6.

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' J. A. POSBY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH THROWINGDBVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1906.

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UNITED STATES JAMES A. POSEY, OF MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO PATENT OFFICE.

H. H. POSEY, ONE-THIRD TO W. E. SEWIL. AND ONE-THIRD TO ANNIE POSEY, OF MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS.

ELECTRIC SWlTCH-THROWING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 2, 1906.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Serial No- 328,910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. PosEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midlothian, Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switch- Throwing Devices for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically-controlled devices for operating switches for railways; and the object is to provide a method of operating the switches of the track from the car so that a motorman can operate or turn the switches of the track without stopping the car, and also to provide means by which the motorman can operate either the main line switch or the branch line switch at will.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a switching mechanism which can be protected from the water and by which the destruction of the fuses will be prevented.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application and specification.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the entire electric switching devices. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the switch controlling or operating means and a section of the casing which incloses said means and a view of the motor for actuating said means and a section of the motor-casing. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the operating means. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the trolley-circuit-distributing mechanism. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the circuitchanging box and the circuitchanging mechanism. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the trolleycircuit-distributing mechanism along the line at w of Fig. 4, illustrating the position of the troll ey-wheel relative thereto. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the same, being a cross-section along the line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the main driving cog-wheel and the gearing operated thereby.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the sameparts throughout the several views.

The trolley-circuit-distributing mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 4, 6, and 8. The

tr0lley-wire 1 is deflected from its course by means of a bar of wood or fiber 2. Brass clamps 3 are soldered to the wire 1, and these clamps 3 are bolted to the wooden bar 4. The bar 2 may be supported in the clamps 3. While the wire 1 is deflected from its course the circuit is maintained by means of a metal strip 5, which has an upwardly-projecting lug 6, to which a feeder-wire 7 is attached. The bar 8 is the main-current-supply bar for the trolley circuit distributing mechanism. When the trolley-wire 1 is deflected back in line, it is secured in place by a clamp 3. A bar 8 is attached to the bar 4 for supplying current from the trolley-wheel to the switchoperating motor. above the trolley-wire, and the trolley-wheel will press the wire upward far enough so that the trolley-wheel will come in contact with the bar 8. While the trolley-wheel is passing the bar 8 the circuit-changing solenoid hereinafter explained is operated. Means are provided for locking the core of the circuit-changing solenoid 9 in place automatically, and means are provided for releasing the core of the solenoid 9 as the trolleywheel is about to leave the trolley-circuitdistributing mechanism. When the trolleywheel passes from under the bar 8, the wheel passes under the bar 10, which is suspended similarly to the bar 8 from the bar 4 and which is electrically connected to a releasingsolenoid 11. One end of the bar 4 is supported on the clamps 3 and the other end is supported on the clamp 12. A guard 13 is suspended from the bar 4 to prevent the possibility of the wire 1 from coming in contact with the bar prematurely.

14 indicates the circuit-changer box. A circuit-changing solenoid 9 is mounted in this box. This solenoid is provided with a movable core-armature 15. A wood or fiber bar 16 is attached to the box 14 and contacts 17 and 18 are mounted on the bar 16. A wood or fiber bar 19 is bolted to the armature 15, and two pairs of contacts 19 and 20 and 21 and 22 are mounted on the bar 19. A bar 23 of wood or fiber is mounted on the box 14, and contacts 24 and 25 aremounted on bar 23. Switches 26 and 27 are mounted in the box 14 and are provided with fuses 28 and 29. A wire 30 is connected to the switch 26 and to This bar is suspended the trolleywire 1. A wire 31 connects the fuse 28 with the winding of solenoid 9. A Wire 7 connects the winding of solenoid 9 to the metal strip 5. This completes the connection or circuit for feeding the trolleywheel while the wheel is passing the deflected portion of the trolley-wire 1. The switch 27 is electrically connected to the motor-supply bar by means of a wire 33. A wire 23 connects the fuse 29 with the contacts and 22, which are bonded together through the block 19. A wire 34 connects the solenoid 11 with the bar 10. Wire 35 connects contact 18 with one pole of the motor 37, and wire 36 connects contact25 with the reverse pole of the motor. Wire 38 makes electrical connection from motor 37 to contact 17. A wire 39 makes electrical connection from the motor 37 to the contact 24, and through contact 24, when in action, makes connection with contacts 19 and 21, which are bonded together through the bar 19. A wire 40 makes electrical connection of the contact ,19 With one of the rails.

Means are provided for holding the corearmature in contact till the trolley-wheel passes the supply-ba3r 8, and means are provided for unlocking the core-armature when the lower end of under the core-armature 15.

the switching of the car has been accomplished. Apivoted latch 41 is pivotally connected to the core-armature 42 of the solenoid 11. This latch is made normally to rest against the core-armature 15'by means of an adjustable weight 43. When the core-armature 15 rises, the latch 41 will catch under the armature 15 and hold the same up until the latch is drawn from This provision is made to hold the core-armature 15 independently of the use of a current through solenoid 9 while the trolley-wheel is passing the motor-supply bar 8. This will also prevent the possibility of reversing the motor by break of current in solenoid 9. A break of current in solenoid 9 would let the corearmature drop and bring contacts 21 and 22 against contacts 24 and 25 and reverse the motor if the core 15 was being held by a current. This would happen if the trolleywheel should jump or be forced away from.

the trolley-wire. These difliculties are, all overcome by the use of the latch 41. When the switching is accomplished, the trolleywheel passes to the bar 10 and immediately the core-armature 42 draws the latch 41 from under the core-armature 15, and the solenoid 9 notthen being energized the corearmature will drop to its normal position.

The mechanism operated by the motor 37 to throw the switch is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 and 8. The shaft 44 of the motor 37 is coupled to the shaft 45 of cog-wheel 46 by a coupling 47. The shaft 45 is mounted in a vertical cylindrical bearing 48, which is formed integral with the bottom of the casing 49. This bearing is so constructed that water, if water should run in the casing 49, will not run down in the motor-casing 50. Casings 49 and 50 are formed integral and divided by the partition 51. A thimble or sleeve 52 is made rigid with the shaft 45, and

the main driving cog-wheel 46 is loosely mounted on the sleeve 52 and made to turn therewith bybrake-pads 60. Power is transmitted to the brake-wheel 55 by means of four intermediate idle cog-Wheels 56, which are mounted on upstanding spindles 57, formed on the partition 51. The wheel 55 -has a downwardly-projecting flange 58, and interior gearing is formed on said flange to be engaged by the gear-wheels 56. Frictionbrakes are provided for the gear-wheel 46. A disk 59 is attached to a flange on the flange on the sleeve 52, and pads 60 of some suitable material are attached to the disk 59. The cog-wheel 46 has a radially-extending flange 61 below the cogs thereof which may be brought in contact with the pads 60 with more or less force. This may be done by means of a nut 62, which moves on threads on the sleeve 52. Ball-bearings 63 may be interposed between the nut 62 and the wheel 46. The wheel 46 may be pressed against the brake-pads by screwing the nut 62 down. The nuts 62 and the pads 60 thus form a friction-clamp to put the gear-wheel 46 into operation, and when the switch has been thrown the wheel 46 will stop whether the motor 37 has stopped or not, because the pads 60 will slide on the flange 61. The motor will run on forseveral rotations, being driven b acquired momentum. The provision o the friction-clamp will prevent the sudden stop ping of the motor after the switching operation is accomplished, and thus prevent injury to the motor. The motor might be burned out on account of sudden stopping. This provision will also protect the motor if the car should stop While the trolley-wheel is in contact with the trolley-wire or the supply-bar 8,. because the motor will run notwithstanding that the friction-pads are in contact with the flange 61. If there was a positive rigid connection with the wheel 46 in such case, the motor could not run and would be burned out. The friction between the flange of wheel 46 and the pad 60 can always be made suflicient for switching operations and yet permit the motor to run without the movement of the wheel 46. The brake-rod or draw-bar 64 is operated by and connected with the gearing by a yoke 65 and a yoke 66, which yokes are concentric with each other. The yoke 65 has a lug 67, which is pivotally connected to a ledge 68 of the casing 49. The draw-bar 64 is connected rigidly with the yoke 66, and the yoke 66 is pivotally connected with the yoke 65 bya pivot-bolt 69. The yoke 65 is actuated by the wheel 55, and yoke 65 actuates yoke 66,

to the switch-tongue 75.

which yoke pulls on the draw-bar. The wheel actuates the yoke by means of an upstanding pin or lug 70. The yoke 65 has two arms 71, one on either side of the pin 70, which are engaged by the pin to actuate the yoke 65. The draw-bar 64 runs through a stuffing-box 72, and this bar is made in two parts and connected together by a link 73. The section 74 of the draw-bar is connected There is sufficient friction between the radially-extended flange 61 and the pads (which maybe a flatring) to move all the working mechanism of the switch and to pull the switch-tongue. The friction may be increased by turning the nut 62. The object of the clutch is to allow the motor to run on, if necessary, as it would by accumulated momentum after the switch tongue has been thrown. In this manner the working parts or mechanism are not injured by being brought to a sudden stop. The motor can run without turning the wheel 46. The wheel 55 will actuate the yokes 65 and 66 with only slight turning. The drawbar 64 moves only a slight distance to throw the switch-tongue.

The motor 37 may be an ordinary reversible series ,wound motor which is placed on the end in the casing. The partition 51 will prevent water from entering the casing 50.-

The casing 49 is provided with a cover 76, which is screwed into the casing, as shown in Fig. 2. The cover 76 has a recess formed in the under side for the shaft 45, so that water would have to rise practically to the'level of the street in the casing 49 before it would start toward the interior of the casing 50. Water can reach the interior of the casing 50 only by rising up between the thimble 52 and the sleeve-bearing 48 and the-n passing down between the sleeve-bearing 48 and the shaft 45. The casing 50 has an interior casing of glass 77. The glass is a non-conductor and will prevent moisture from entering the easing of the motor 37.

To run a car on the main line, the motor.- man leaves his controller on. When the trolley-wheel comes in contact with the metal strip 5, the current will flow through wire 30, through switch 26, fuse. 28, over wire 31, through solenoid 9, thence through wire 7 to metalstrip 5. In this operation the solenoid 9 is energized. The armature 15 is raised and brings the contacts 19 and 20 against the contacts 17 and 18, respectively. This com pletes a circuit to the motor 37. The trolleywheel passes to bar 8. The current will pass from trolley-wire 1 to the trolley-wheel and from the wheel to the supply-bar 8, thence through wire 33 to switch 27 and fuse 29, throughwire 23 to contacts 20 and 18, thence through wire 35 to one'pole of motor, through motor 37, thence through wire 38 to contacts 17 and 19, and thence to ground through wire 40, which connects with a rail 78 or any suitable grounding connection. This operation will actuate the switch-throwing mechanism to throw the switch, if not already in position for the main line. I I To run a car on a branch line, the mot-oiman must turn his controller off when the trolley-wheel approaches the metal strip 5 and hold the controller off while the trolleywheel is passing this strip. In this condition no current will flow through the solenoid 9. Consequently the core-armature will not move, and the contacts 21 and 22 will rest, respectively, on contacts 24 and 25. condition there is a complete circuit to the motor similar to the circuit above described, but on opposite poles of the motor, which-will cause the motor to turn in a direction opposite that above described for the main line.

In this A When the trolleyewheel reaches bar 8, current will flow as before described, passing through wire 33 to switch 27 and fuse 29, through wire 23 to contacts 22 and 25, through wire 36 to motor, through motor 37, thence through wire 39 to contacts 24, 21, and 19 ?nd thence through wire 40 to ground, as beore.

The current for energizing the solenoid 11 is obtained from the bar 10 in the manner as the current is obtained from vbar 8 for the solenoid 9. A wire 79 connects the winding of solenoid 11 with the wire 40. The current will pass through wire 34 to solenoid 11 and through this solenoid, thence through the wire 79 and wire 40 to ground.

' Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In an electric switch-throwing apparatus for railways provided with a switch.th row ing motor, mechanical devices actuated by said motor for throwing a switch-tongue, and means for causing said motor to run in either direction, said mechanical devices consisting of a driven gear-wheel, a driving gear-Wheel .therefor having a radial flange, a ring-pad rigid with the shaft of said motor, means for pressing said flange against said pad, and a draw-bar operatively connected to said driven gear-wheel and to a switch-tongue of a railway.

2. In an electric switching apparatus for railways provided with a switch-throwing motor, means for causing said motor to run in either direction, gearing, friction devices operatively connecting said gearing and said ICC IIC

motor, a yoke concentric with and actuated by said gearing, and a yoke operatively connected to a switch-tongue and concentric with and actuated by said first-named yoke.

3. In anelectric switch-throwing apparatus for railways provided with a switch throwing motor, means for causing said motor to run in either direction, a shaft operatively connected to the shaft of said motor, a fri0ti0I1-clarnp carried by said shaft, a

driving-gear loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with a-radial flange, means for locklng said flange on said friction-clamp, a driven gear-wheel, intermediate gearing operatively connecting said driving-gear and said driven gear-wheel, and yokes operatively connected to each other and connected to said driven gear-wheel and to a switchtongue.

4. In an electric switch-throwing apparatus, for railways provided with a switchthrowing motor, means for causing said motor to turn in either direction, a shaft operatively connected to the shaft of said motor, a frictionclamp carried by said shaft, a driving gear-wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with a radial flange, means for locking said flange on said frictionclamp, a driven gear-wheel, intermediate.

gearing operatively connecting said drivinggear and said driven gear-wheel, ayoke pivotally mounted, means by which said yoke is actuated by said driven gear-wheel, and a yoke pivotally connected to said first-named yoke and operatively connected to a switchtongue of a railway.

5. In an electric-switch-throwing apparatus for railways provided with a switch, throwing motor, means for causing said motor to turn in either direction, mechanical devices actuated by said motor for throwing a switch-tongue, and means for protecting said motor and mechanical elements from moisture consisting of a casing, a partition separating said motor from said mechanical devices and screwed into said casing, a glass casing within said first-named casing and surrounding said motor, and a cover screwed into said first-named casing.

6. In an electric switch-throwing apparatus provided with a switch-throwing motor, a circuit-changing device provided with contacts whereby a current may be directed to either pole of said motor, a circuit-distributing mechanism operatively connected to said circuit-changing device and to said contacts; a mechanical device for preventing the breaking of the circuit through said circuitchanging device and through said circuitdistributing mechanism during a switching o oration, and means for actuating said meo anical device.

7. In an electric switching apparatus provided with a switch-throwing motor, a circuit-changing device having a movable core-armature, two pairs of stationary contacts, and movable contacts carried by said core-armature and movable between said 1pairs of stationary contacts, said motor eing operatively connected to a part of said contacts, a circuitdistributing mechanism 'operatively connected to said circuit-changing device and its contacts, and means for holding said core-armature stationary after it hastraversed its beat until a switching operation is completed.

8. In an electric,switch-throwing apparatus, the combination with the trolley-wire of the railway, a switch-throwing motor, a solenoid in circuit with said trolley-wire, a movable core-armature operating in said solenoid, two pairs of stationary contacts,

contacts carried by said core-armature and movable between said pairs of stationary contacts, said stationary contacts being connected to said motor, circuit-distributing mechanism cooperating with said trolleywire and said movable contacts, a pivoted latch for automatically locking said corearmature in position until a switching operation is accomplished, and asolenoid for removingsaid latch as soon as the switching operation is completed.

9. In an electric switch-throwing apparatus, the combination with the trolley-wire of the railway, a switch-throwing motor, a solenoid in circuit. with said trolley-wire and having a movable core-armature, movable contacts carried by said armature, a supplybar 006 crating with said trolley-wire and electrica ly connected with said movable contacts, stationary contacts on either side of said movable contacts and located at the limit of the beat of said movable contacts and electrically connected to the poles of said motor, a latch for locking said armature in position while .a switching operation is going on, a solenoid for operating said latch to unlock the same, and a supplemental supply-bar cooperating with sald trolleywire for furnishing current to the last-mentioned solenoid.

In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 14th day of July, 1906.

I JAMES A. rosEY.

,Witnesses:

F. P. LAWSON, E. LAWSON. 

